The first image of Johnny Depp as the celebrated war photographer W Eugene Smith has been released.
Depp can be seen in the black and white photograph with a beard, glasses, beret and holding a camera.
Minamata, directed by Andrew Levitas (Lullaby), is based on the Smith’s book, co-authored with his wife Aileen Mioko Smith, of the same name.
Bill Nighy has also been cast in the film, alongside Hiroyuki Sanada (Westworld), Minami Hinase (Vision), Tadanobu Asano (Midway), Ryo Kase (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Jun Kunimura (Midway).
The film will focus on Smith’s journey to Japan and has been billed as “a redemptive thriller” that pitts Smith against a powerful corporation responsible for poisoning the people of Minamata in 1971.
“I am thrilled to be working with such a talented and dedicated team on the story behind one of the most devastating and relatively unknown catastrophes of the past 100 years,” Levitas said.
“Every one of the cast and crew is determined to make the people of Minamata’s voices heard as we begin shooting this film.”
Depp recently appeared in the Fantastic Beasts films – a casting was heavily criticised after the actor found himself at the centre of domestic violence allegations by his ex-wife Amber Heard in May 2016. He denied the accusations and settled the case months later.
